Oftentimes, child support payments can be awarded to the parent who has physical custody of a child or children. This is because the law holds both parents responsible for supporting their children financially.

Like many states, New Jersey uses an official child support calculator to determine the amount of support to be paid. The calculator takes into account several factors, including the incomes of both parents, the number of children involved, health insurance, day care and other needs of the children, if any.

Even though child support is ordered by the court, there are still many parents who do not pay. In cases of unpaid child support, it is possible to obtain court orders to have delinquent child support payments garnished from the non-paying parents' paychecks.

The federal government recently announced that it is also taking a stand against parents who refuse to pay child support. It was reported that the Department of Health and Human Services launched a new Child Support Enforcement web page that essentially creates a "most wanted" list for non-paying parents.

The web page will include photos and information on parents that are years behind on child support or have fled the state to avoid making payments. Visitors are then asked to submit any information they may have upon the whereabouts of the non-paying parents.

As of last week, the website featured five wanted fugitives and two who had recently been captured. The Government's Most Wanted Deadbeat Parent is a New York man who allegedly owes more than $1 million in child support payments for three kids he has from two marriages.

Source: Office of Inspector General, "OIG Launches Child Support Enforcement Web Page: Introduces 'most wanted' list of deadbeat parents," Jan. 17, 2012